Nimue
by KrazyKimmy
Summary: It has taken Niko moons to retrieve Nimue. When she is brought to Discipline she doesn't exactly get off to a flying start either. Who is she? What is her power? And why, why is she so afraid of everyone?  xD
1. Chapter 1 :  Ivy

This didn't turn out like I expected- but still. It is my first CoM fic so please be nice.

Also- with Nimue keep in mind Edward Scissorhands. It is NOT a crossover fic but I loosely based Nimue's appearance on Edward.

Oh- and.. This is set after 'The Healing in the Vines' but BEFORE 'Magic Steps' - :)

Disclaimer: If I was Tamora Pierce, don't you think I'd be out there making millions instead of posting Fanfiction here? That's what I thought! xD

Please tell me of any spelling mistakes or such- I don't yet have a Beta reader... :(

Happy reading! And please review!

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><p>Chapter One- Ivy.<p>

Briar knew that Niko was arriving, as he heard the flowers in their garden welcoming him and his magic after many moons away.

However, he couldn't identify the other magic source that came through the gate with Niko.

He reached out an arm to Rosethorn, who was sat at the end of the table, back to the door.

She nodded, chewing thoughtfully on a thick buttered slice of bread.

'What is it?' Asked Sandry silently to Briar.

The door opened, revealing a tall man with silver hair; and behind him, an unfamiliar young girl who tried her best to remain unseen.

"Niko!" Lark called, standing up to welcome their guest.

"Niko!" Sandry and Tris exclaimed, also standing up to hug their friend and teacher.

Daja smiled, as did Briar, except the latter was more interested in finding out who the girl was.

"Hey." He laughed, after being hugged by the girls.

"What took you so long? We were worried." Sandry told Niko.

Niko laughed, "Well." He brought an arm behind him, forcing the young girl forward.

She must have been about fifteen, a year younger than the four; and looked thoroughly petrified. She had her shoulders hunched forward, and her eyebrows were locked together in a permanent expression of confusion and fear. She wore an unusual combination of a knee length dress and breeches, Briar noticed. A dress code found only in the most northern part of Emelan.

"I'd like to introduce you to your new house mate." Niko chuckled, seeing the faces of not only the four, but Lark and Rosethorn as they realised what Niko had said.

"But- Niko. I, we-" Rosethorn protested, before Niko waved away her complaints with a stern "Moonstream's orders."

Lark looked the girl over. She had dark black hair, which was messy and hid most of her face. But Lark could see her pale skin- too pale she thought, and large, topaz coloured eyes.

She was a hand shorter than Lark, and was shivering slightly. Lark couldn't tell if it was her imagination or not, but she seemed to be huddling close to Niko- for warmth or comfort she couldn't tell.

Lark took a step forward to welcome the child, and envelope her in a friendly hug.

The girl squealed and flinched away from Lark, moving behind Niko.

Rosethorn hid a smile as Lark looked to Niko.

"Um..." Niko started to explain, once more drawing out the girl from behind him with caring arms.

If anyone had had any doubts about the girl shivering before, there were no doubts now. She was twitching all over, with goosebumps visible on her neck and arms. Niko held her still, his hands on her upper arms.

She flinched and jumped when he placed his hands on her, but made no attempt to move.

"Nimue is... well. She's had a rather traumatic experience." Niko said, being very careful with his wording.

"Sandry, remember when you were locked away before coming here?" Niko asked of the blond girl.

She nodded slowly.

"Well, you were locked away for less than a month. Nimue has been locked away for just over a decade."

'That's why she's so pale' thought the dark-skinned Daja.

Lark reached out to comfort Nimue, but again she shied from her touch.

"Why-?" Lark began, before a look from Niko stopped her.

He nodded to the table, "May we?"

Tris went to fetch extra plates, and Niko guided Nimue to the bench, next to Rosethorn.

Niko began to recount how he came across Nimue, whilst Rosethorn studied the frightened girl.

She had her hands clasped in her lap, and was studying the table intently.

She jumped and hunched her shoulders forward in unease and fear when Tris leaned around her to put her plate on the table.

Nimue moved her head a little and looked behind her, and followed Tris around the the room as she went back to sit down, then, as if someone called her name, looked up and around- searching for something.

Rosethorn watched as she smiled slightly, and appeared to relax. She turned around to see the source of the child's contentment- and saw, on the ceiling, a patch of Ivy that had worked its way into the house.

"Um... Niko?" Daja interrupted, looking at Rosethorn.

The woman raised an eyebrow, and blinked at Daja.

"Niko!" Daja repeated, turning to him and glaring at him across the table when he didn't respond.

"Yes?" He replied sweetly.

"Look, Goldeneye." She told him, trying to give him a message without giving it away.

The three children nodded, and Tris simply placed her glasses upon her head and smiled.

"Oh Tris- that's not fair." Sandry whined, rubbing her eyes.

Lark exchanged a look with Rosethorn.

Niko smiled, and nodded. "Oh." He said.

"Make her stop it." Sandry pleaded.

Rosethorn placed her hand on Briar's shoulder, and allowed their magic to mingle. Through Briar's eyes she saw herself, then as he turned his head. Rosethorn saw Nimue, and a strong beam of bright white and green magic that flowed from her to the Ivy on the ceiling. 'No- from the Ivy to her' Briar corrected her.

Rosethorn took her hand back, and thought.

"Um, Nimue?" Niko asked delicately.

The girl's head snapped to him, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Could you maybe stop the uh-" He gestured to the string of magic.

She looked down ashamed, and the link between her and the plant stopped.

The four young mages gave a collective sigh.

"So are you a plant mage?" Rosethorn asked sharply of the teenager.

Nimue looked to Niko for an answer.

"No..." He said slowly, narrowing his eyes.

He chewed on a slice of bread and ham thoughtfully, before standing up and pacing.

"Then, how did you-?" Briar asked.

Nimue looked away from Briar, guilty and upset; tears in her eyes.

Rosethorn frowned. True- she hated caring for people; but all the same didn't like to see them upset.

Sandry called to Briar two seats down, and asked for the tomatoes silently. As he passed them up to her he realised that Nimue still had nothing on her plate, and she was making no effort to put anything on it either.

He silently voiced this to the girls, who all shrugged it off, but Tris.

As Niko was still pacing, Tris was next to Nimue, and she slid up the bench, so she was right next to her.

Nimue briefly looked up at Tris, who had put her glasses back on. She then went back to inspecting her plate.

"Hey." Tris said bluntly, smiling at the small girl. Tris noted how thin she was, and how she shivered still. "Eat something. It'll make you warmer." She suggested.

Nimue shrank back and shook her head, wary of the red-head.

Rosethorn had put a hand out to stop Nimue falling off the bench, and when Rosethorn's gentle hand brushed Nimue's back the girl jumped, her hands flying to just under her chin, and gently clasping each other.

"She doesn't eat..." Niko muttered, still pacing furiously.

Nimue swivelled around on her seat towards Niko, frowned worriedly at him. She pressed her lips together, and swallowed.

Niko sighed, and smiled tiredly at her. He stopped pacing and held out his hands.

Within her blue eyes Nimue smiled, and she with a wary look at Rosethorn and Lark, she carefully got up and encased herself within Niko's arms.

Lark frowned, and took a vicious bite from her salad.

Sandry petted her arm; knowing it was Nimue's accepted affection from Niko and not from her that spurred this.

Nimue moaned slightly, a high pitch, uncomfortable whine; and Niko in turn looked down at her.

Nimue looked away from his curious eyes, and blushed furiously.

"Your still hiding." He concluded.

She still refused to meet his eyes.

"Come on," He coaxed. "Show us who you really are."


	2. Chapter 2 Black house, Black Heart

Chapter Two- Black house, Black heart.  
>"Niko-" Nimue pleaded, in a soft voice that belonged to a trained singer- not an ungrateful teenager- or at least that's what Lark thought.<br>Briar thought her voice sounded like the gentle chiming of falling rain-drops in thin puddles, or the music of breaking china.  
>Rosethorn reached out and physically closed Briar's jaw, as the boy was obviously unable to do so himself.<br>"No, Nimue." Niko lightly scolded, "Stop hiding. Show us who you are."  
>He was holding her chin now- so she couldn't look away; and he gazed deep into her eyes; into her soul.<br>Sighing, Nimue lifted her chin out of Niko's grasp, and wiped away a lone tear.  
>She turned to face those at the table, and closed her eyes. Concentrating, and breathing in the steady beat of the meditation technique, Nimue retracted her undetectable magic.<br>The four young mages squinted, as Nimue momentarily glowed silver with magic, then gasped as they saw her; who she really was.  
>Rosethorn and Lark jumped up; Rosethorn in confusion and disbelief, Lark- because she didn't know what else to do.<br>"What is this trickery, Niko?" Asked Rosethorn; warily and faintly disgusted.  
>Nimue looked up at Rosethorn; having identified the emotion in her voice. She opened her mouth, about to protest; then looked away; heartbroken.<br>Sandry saw how she only gently squeezed her bruised eyes to stop her crying.  
>The reason for her being so pale was now obvious- although you could barely see her skin underneath... all of that.<br>Her eyes were bagged with tiredness, although that was the last thing you'd look at in her purple/black complexion of bruised skin. Various scratching and scars contrasted red with her white skin. Blotches of blue-green stood out like pox, marking collisions with something hard.  
>Her hands, which she had clasped to her pale lips, Sandry noted, were covered in red scars and welts. A few deep cuts had not healed properly and bled sluggishly, she saw as Nimue fidgeted.<br>After a few minutes Niko spoke. "This is no trickery, Rosethorn. This is Nimue. What you saw before was the trickery, if you wish to call it that. It appears that Nimue here has a very rare type of magic." He paused for effect- which Daja broke.  
>"Illusionist." She though aloud.<br>"Huh?" Briar looked to her.  
>"Illusionists are great, but rare. They can make things look like something else- or can make them look better than they are."<br>Briar still looked confused, so she continued with her explanation.  
>"Say I wanted to sell a broken vase, if I had an illusionist made on ship. they could make it look whole- and if they were really powerful they could make it feel whole too. My uncle once met a mage who could make an entire gemstone necklace from one tiny little gemstone." Daja smiled at the memory.<br>"Traders." Briar shook his head.  
>"So... Who hurt you if you where locked away?" Lark asked, confused.<br>Nimue looked up, and with worried eyes looked to Niko for guidance.  
>He nodded at her, and smiled encouragingly.<br>She took a shaky breath in, and looked up at Lark, and the other expectant mages. "I..." She bit her lip, then jolted slightly when she caught a cut, "When, when ..." Her voice was coming out quick- she was scared. "When you feed on plants hurts take longer to heal." She rushed; with her eyes closed; finishing by drawing in another shaky breath.  
>Niko gently guided her back to the table. "And... Nimue hasn't been all that stable, recently have you?" He coaxed.<br>She frowned, and looked away, watching out the window.  
>Niko leaned forward; explaining how the girl struggled to feel her true self-worth whilst being locked away by her parents and so on many occasions had tried to end it; her pain, suffering (and therefore the general idea of 'life') yet had been unable to as her bond with the plants linked her to them. She was unable to die until they did, as her magic entwined with their life force.<br>As Daja listened, she realised that the feeling of self-worthlessness was very similar to what she felt, after being cast out by the traders. She looked over to Nimue to say something, only to see the girl had put her 'glamour' back on (-she looked uninjured) and was looking in her hands, creating animals that ran around and chased each other.  
>They each seemed to glow a little bit, like animals made of fire, or magic. They didn't shine bright white, but merely a soft orange.<br>"How do you do that?" Daja breathed, amazed.  
>Nimue's head shot up and she immediately rid of the animals. "'lusion." She replied, hardly moving her lips.<br>"Then why aren't they all... how are you hiding the magics trace?" Tris asked, realising that Nimue wouldn't understand if she simply asked why aren't they silver.  
>"I... It's tiring, but, but I can... feel the magic I give off. I can..." Nimue clasped her hands and brought them up to her chin. "I can stem the ... the flow of magic given off. Just, just leave the 'lusion." She lowered her head then shot a small, quick smile at Tris.<br>A shiver encased Nimue's arms and she curled in on herself.  
>Rosethorn nodded and patted Briar's arm before the boy shot off from the table and thundered up the stairs.<br>Lark raised an eyebrow but Rosie waved a hand, blowing the matter aside.  
>"Wae, can you; could you show us a , an image of the house I found you in? With all the Ivy and such?" Niko asked; purely wondering.<br>Nimue sat up, and straightened her back; before holding out her hands in-front of her, and shaping them; like she was moulding clay.  
>A dark bricked house came into view, a grand house; with three floors and turrets at the corner. Nimue waved her hand, and the house set to a slow spin, so the 'n' shape of the house was viewable. The girl frowned, and a courtyard appeared, then Ivy suddenly spread all over a wing of the house. "That was my room." She explained shyly.<br>Lark barked a laugh, "It's like the haunted house of North Emalan."  
>Briar came downstairs, and set the Shakkan in-front of the black-haired girl.<br>She looked up, and watched him sit in his seat. As he did Niko gave a slow nod.  
>Briar gestured to it, "Please. It, um. Has magic in it, so I... It might make you feel better."<br>Nimue smiled, and placed a hand on the Shakkan's bowl. This time only Rosethorn and Briar saw the magical tendril work its way into the plants core, yet everyone could see the small, contented smile that broke over the girls face.  
>Everyone else was rather preoccupied though, having found out their new house-mate came from a house so haunted that it had been abandoned for about a hundred years- and no-one had stepped foot in it since the Owners- Lord and Lady Maelstrom died of a curse set upon them by a jealous mage.<p>

Briar silently swore in a very street-rat type way when the girls silently relayed to him what happened.  
>Rosethorn slapped him. 'I can hear your thoughts' She reminded him.<br>Even through this exchange, Nimue was immune to everyone else's stares; she was adding small details to the house. Her house.  
>She looked up, with large, dark doe eyes and saw everyone but Niko watching her.<br>Needless to say she curled back in on herself again. 

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><p>So? What do you think?<br>Shall be updated next week! (fingers crossed)


	3. Chapter 3: Roses and People

Chapter Three- Roses and People.

A faint crash made the four young mages and their mentors jump.

Rosethorn frowned; the house Nimue had conjured had just caved in. "Wha- What?" She asked, rhetorically.

"That's how I found it. All," Niko floundered around with his hands. "caved in." He ended meekly.

Nimue turned her head away from the table uncomfortably. Everyone was looking at her. "That's how it is now." She whispered. "It fell." She breathed, barely audible.

Lark got up, and went into Rosethorn's workshop.

The green mage narrowed her eyes, then followed Lark into her workshop, Niko behind her.

Sandry nodded in response to something her friends had silently said, and moved around the table so she was sitting next to the illusionist.

"Hello." Sandry smiled. She was rewarded by a small smile from Nimue; even though the pale girl moved back a bit on the bench.

"My name is Sandrilene Fa Toren." She extended her hand, smiling sweetly."

"Nimue Winona Maelstrom." Nimue introduced herself quietly.

"Maelstrom?" Briar repeated, "But that's impossible. They were alive over a hundred years ago." He scoffed.

Nimue looked blank, then frowned. "I'm fifteen..." She murmured.

Briar looked over to Niko, who was leaning against the door frame to Rosie's workshop, occasionally offering his opinion.

"Frostpine." The boy announced to the room, moments before a knock came to the door.

Daja hurried to the door, and opened it for her mentor. "Frostpine!" She greeted, beaming.

The muscled man stood there, chuckling softly as Daja hugged him.

Sandry was the only one to notice Nimue's reaction to the large man. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, scared.

She jumped up off the bench as Frostpine came in; and ran over to Niko; who had gone into Rosethorn's workshop by this time.

"Excuse me! Just barge into my workshop then!" Briar heard his mentor exclaim.

"She already has." He chuckled, earning a glare from Rosie.

Nimue was hiding behind Niko, absolutely petrified; and when Niko finally managed to draw her out from behind him; she was shaking, and had her hands tightly clasped, as if in prayer, by her mouth. When Niko coaxed them apart, they were lingering fingermarks.

Lark frowned, saying nothing; but continued to gather potions and poultices for healing Nimue's wounds. No matter what age she was, or whom her parents might or might not be, Lark wouldn't allow an injured youth to remain injured in her house.

Rosethorn left the workroom in a huff, "Might as well make it a part of the house, who else wants to- Frostpine!" She noticed.

"How nice to see you. Would you like to trample through my workroom aswell?" She asked sarcastically.

"...Yes." The Dark-skinned man guessed; his black eyes twinkling.

"You're as bad as Briar. Tea?" She offered.

"Please." Then Frostpine continued telling Daja of how one of her necklace designs had been brought by a Lady of a neighbouring province; and how she was very interested in meeting the maker of the necklace; doubly so when she found out she was a woman.

Sandry waved Rosethorn back to the table; and added spoonfuls of tea to the two cups. "Tea, Lark? Niko?" She asked, peeking into the workroom.

Lark had managed to get Nimue to sit down, and take off her glamour, and was currently spreading creams and such onto the cuts and bruises. "Thanks, love." She nodded.

"Please." Niko thanked her.

Nimue opened an eye, watching the girl with light brown; almost blond hair. Then she looked past her to Frostpine, and cowed in her seat, reaching out for Niko.

"Shhh. I'm here." He soothed, taking her hand; miming with the other for Frostpine to go out of sight.

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><p>The rest of the day passed; Frostpine left; and once again, come dinner; Nimue turned down food, preferring to go out into the garden and connect with the plants.<p>

Rosethorn came out after dinner; and to her surprise found the plants liked Nimue as much as they liked her and Briar.

The girl in question was seated, eyes down, leaning against a wall of the house.

In front of her, floated small two images; a mini her and Niko.

The illusion Nimue was seated; much like she was in reality, against an invisible wall; and Niko came up to her, and offered her a hand up.

Slowly, Nimue took it. Plants and tendrils that had curled around her protested, reaching out for her.

Nimue wasn't very steady on her feet, and stumbled a few times. She would have fell if Niko hadn't had his arm around her waist.

As they reached a door (for Niko held out his arm to open it) vague images of brickwork fell were Nimue had been sitting moments before.

A weary (but real) Nimue waved her hand through the illusions, and the disappeared; replaced by hand sized replicas of Lark and Rosethorn.

Lark look put out; then she smiled, caring. Rosethorn look disgusted; then annoyed; then wary.

With a spin of her finger around the figures; they started to spin slowly.

The real Rosethorn took a step forward; and Nimue looked up; the illusions shattering.

"Hi." Rosethorn tried; as softly as she could. A few things about the girl had been explained over dinner.

Nimue gave a quick flash of a smile, then it dropped; almost immediately.

Rosethorn gently bent down; then sat on the short grass. "They were good." She said, motioning towards where the people had been.

"Th-thanks." Nimue stuttered.

"Could-are you still hiding now?" Rosethorn changed her question half-way through.

Nimue nodded, weaving a tangled thread of hair around her finger. For a few seconds she dropped the guise; revealing a sight much like before; except with a few smudges of un-sunk-in-cream about her face. She put the illusion straight back up as Rosethorn's mouth opened slightly.

"Sorry- for what I said earlier. It... frightened me; seeing you like that. Unnerved me." The elder woman uneasily admitted.

Nimue nodded sharply; then waved her hand (A/N think royal wave) then cupped her fingers around something invisible.

As Rosethorn watched, a stem slowly grew through the girls fingers, growing complete with dark green thorns, then growing at the top into a closed rose head, which bloomed out fully before her very eyes.

Nimue offered the rose to the surprised woman; and much to Rosethorn's amazement, she could feel the rose underneath her fingers, the sharp prick of the thorns, the soft velvet of the petals.

"It's... it's..."

"An illusion." Nimue softly said, tilting her head to one side, smiling as Rosethorn stroked the rose.

"Can you feel that?" Rosethorn wondered; was she also stroking the girl?

"Only as brushes to my magic." The girl admitted; quietly.

Barking interrupted, and an exhausted Kirel could be seen dragging behind an excited Little Bear.

"That," He panted, "Is the last time I take that... that beast out for a walk! He never tires!" He complained to Sandry to had run out of the house at the first bark; and was currently enveloping Little Bear in a hug.

Or Visa Versa. Rosethorn couldn't quite tell from this vantage point.


	4. Chapter 4: Green Fingers

Chapter Four- Green Fingers.

That night Sandry offered to let the strange girl sleep in her room.

She wasn't exactly regretting it now; there was just something about her that made Sandry uneasy, she couldn't sleep like this.

It might have been the fact that Niko had found her living alone; the fact that she'd fed on only plants for years that made her uneasy; or that she'd been so photosensitive that she'd created her own shroud of Darkness to walk about it; an eternal night that it had taken a month to lower.

Or maybe it was that when she slept she glowed slightly; a magic silver as she'd fallen asleep hiding her scars.

Sandry didn't really know.

She rolled over, facing the window; and was drifting slightly, between sleep and waking when a face at the window made her bite her lip to stop screaming.

A teenage boy casually walked in through the window, and stepped out of the shadows into the light of her night crystal.

"Oh, Briar. You... startled me." She admitted, as the previous street-rat sat on her bed; looking down at the dark-haired girl.

"She asleep?" He nodded to her, looking back at Sandry.

"Yes."

"She's glowing?" He sounded slightly in awe.

Sandry chuckled, "Jealous?"

"Yes actually. Wait- no. If I'dve done that on the streets I'dve been sold!" He laughed.

Sandry smiled, "What are you doing here?"

"Tris wondered whether or not you could sleep. Told her I'd look."

"Why were you with Tris?" Sandry blushed, wondering if she wanted to know.

"She was on the roof." He totally missed her blushing and her entire train of thought. "I was watching the moon flowers bloom. Tris was with the clouds."

"Oh." Sandry knew when Tris wanted to be with the clouds, there was no stopping her. A few weeks ago Tris had taken them with her; it was like flying, flowing with the currents of the sky.

"Yeah. So, she's kinda like you."

"Pardon? How?"

"Well..." Briar looked like he was being asked to explain the obvious. "She's been locked away; so have you. She's obviously from a well-to-do family, like you. Even if they did at some point cast her out and lock her up in a ghost house." He ended smiling.

Sandry rolled her eyes. "I don't understand it though, why would anyone send their child away to a haunted house?"

"Maybe she ran away?" Briar shrugged.

'That's the last place I'd run to. Which makes it excellent because noone would ever think to look in the most scary place ever for a scared little girl' Tris's voice interrupted in their minds.

'Back now?' Briar sent to her.

An upside down girls face appeared at the window. "Boo." She whispered quietly, then her head disappeared to be replaced by her feet as she lowered herself into the room.

"Now all we need is-" Sandry started.

"Me." A sleepy Daja walked into the room, yawning.

Nimue rolled over in her sleep, a shimmering lion padding around her then disappearing into shimmering dust that fell like rain over the sleeping girl.

Briar smirked.

* * *

><p>None of the adults could figure out why the children all slept late that next morning.<p>

Besides Nimue; she rose with the sun; as did Rosethorn.

Lark, like Daja, liked her bed. The former, in her youth used to have to be woke with a bucket of water sometimes.

When Rosethorn had told that tale there had been endless teasing.

Rosethorn was making tea; with Nimue sat at the table; watching passively.

Lark had been dragged out of bed, much to her annoyance, and was coaxing Nimue to talk.

So far the girl had been in a fairly comfortable silence, then retreated back into her clam-like state when Lark stumbled into the kitchen.

She frowned a little as the stich-witch placed her hand on the table, near the Mint Nimue was feeding on for breakfast (courtesy of Rosethorn),

"Please. I just want to help you." Lark sounded desperate for acceptance. And indeed; if Rosethorn could get through; why couldn't she?

Nimue looked to the door, then around to the window. A little Lark appeared on the window-ledge; singing a bright and cheery song. "Ever hopeful, ever optimistic." She whispered.

The bird flew over to the table, hopping along it's length.

Nimue looked up to the woman, then down to her lap. "Ok." She whispered, quietly.

Lark smiled, and warm butterflys flew to her stomach.

She was about to get up, when Rosie put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "No hugs." She mouthed, putting a tea infront of the green robed woman.

Lark frowned; just a little bit.

A loud knock at the door made them both jump.

Lark turned to look up at Rosethorn; who had her eyes closed, asking the flowers who it was.

"Great. It's Crane." Rosethorn murmured; going to the door instead of yelling at him to come in; probably so she could slam it in his face once she'd told him he couldn't come in, but she didn't get that far.

"Rosie!" Crane yelled, slamming open the door and inviting himself in, "I need you help!" He almost yelled at her.

"What on Earth is it?" Asked Lark, standing up, coming to stand by the man who looked like he was at his wits end. "And what on Earth have you done to that poor plant?" She asked, referring to the somewhat dead looking brown plant, the pot of which was clutched tightly in his hand.

"That's what I came to you about. Rosie- I thought it was just greenfly, but now it's died and I don't know what's wrong or how to cure it! And you know what it is, right?" He was on the verge of tears.

"A golden Shakken." Rosethorn murmured, taking the plant off him and setting it on the table.

Crane nodded, "It cost me more than I could really afford, and now-and now-"

Lark patted his arm synthetically, whilst Rosethorn traced brown leaves, looking for spots or other signs of ill health.

Nimue gently padded barefoot towards Crane; curious.

"Who- who's this?" Crane took a step back from Lark's embrace, watching the girl.

"Nimue. She's staying a while." Rosethorn told him, distracted.

"You taste like plants." Nimue said softly, reaching out a hand and wafting it over him, not touching.

Crane frowned, "Are you a mage?" He asked this more to Lark than to Nimue.

Both woman nodded, and Crane watched as the girl went around Rosethorn to inspect the plant.

"Don't touch it- it's very rare and very expensive." He warned, some of his usual sternness coming into play.

Nimue nodded, yet Rosethorn had to smirk as the girl put her hands behind her back then tenderly reached out with magic to the plant.

Before Crane's very eyes the Golden Shakken appeared to grow, and the leaves went from brown to a shining gold; the stem thickening, and turning greener by the second. Within a minute it was a Golden Shakken tree in all it's golden glory.

"Rosethorn!" He exclaimed, delighted.

The Green Mage shook her head, "Nimue." She smiled, waving a hand towards the smiling girl. "Tea? Crane?" She asked, going back to the kitchenette.


End file.
